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Badlands Star Party 2013

The dark night sky ofTheodore Roosevelt National Park's North Unit is the perfect setting for the annual North Dakota Badlands Star Party on August 9 and 10.

Telescopes will be set up at sunset at the Oxbow Overlook.Constellation tours will be offered as soon as stars are visible, atapproximately 10:00 p.m. CDT.In addition,the sun can be viewed through a solar telescope at the Cannonball Concretionspullout from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday.

"The Star Partycoincides with the new moon, so the sky will be very dark, creating excellent conditionsfor viewing the night sky," said Superintendent Valerie Naylor. "Dark skies are a rapidly vanishing resourcein the U.S.Many people don't have theopportunity to see stars because of light pollution from cities and other development.The night sky is animportant resource in the park, so we're pleased to again welcome this annualevent."

The Oxbow Overlook is at the end of the North Unit'sScenic Drive, 14 miles from the park's entrance.Caution is advised while driving in the parkafter dark, as bison and other wildlife may be on the road.Nights in the North Dakota badlands can becool and rain is possible; a jacket or sweater is recommended. Please call the North Unit Visitor Center at 701-842-9071 for further information and an updated weather forecast.

The North Dakota Badlands Star Party is hosted by theNorthern Sky Astronomical Society of Grand Forks, an amateur astronomy clubassociated with the University of North Dakota.The organization is dedicated to observing the sky and educating othersabout astronomy.Membership is open tothe general public.

For more information about the parkand upcoming activities, including other astronomy programs, please visit thepark's website atwww.nps.gov/THRO.Theodore Roosevelt National Park is on social media! Follow us on Twitter @TRooseveltNPS and "like" us on our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/TheodoreRooseveltNationalPark.